Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 2.djvu/113



revert to the United States, on failure of the payment of one fourth part of the purchase money within three months after the date of application. And the said book of surveys or original plat shall be open at all times, in presence of the register, for the inspection of any individual, applying for the same and paying the proper fee.

. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the registers of the land offices to transmit quarterly to the Secretary of the Treasury, and to the surveyor-general, an account of the several tracts applied for, of the several tracts for which the payment of one fourth part of the purchase money has been made, of the several tracts which have reverted to the United States on failure of the said payment; and also an account of all the payments of monies by them entered, according to the receipts produced to them, specifying the sums of money, the names of the persons paying the same, the names of the officers who have received the same, and the tracts for which the same have been paid.

. And be it further enacted, That the registers aforesaid shall be precluded from entering on their books any application for lands in their own name, and in the name of any other person in trust for them; and if any register shall wish to purchase any tract of land, he may do it by application in writing to the surveyor-general, who shall enter the same on books kept for that purpose by him, who shall proceed in respect to such applications, and to any payments made for the same, in the same manner which the registers by this act are directed to follow, in respect to applications made to them for lands by other persons. The registers shall, nevertheless, note on the book of surveys, or original plat, the applications and payments thus by them made, and their right to the pre-emption of any tract shall bear date from the day, when their application for the same shall have been entered by the surveyor-general in his own book. And if any person applying for any tract shall, notwithstanding he shall have received information from the register, that the same has already been applied for by the said register, or by any other person, insist to make the application, it shall be the duty of the register to enter the same, noting in the margin that the same tract is already purchased, but upon application of the party made in writing, and which he shall file, he may and shall at any future time enter under its proper date, that the part withdraws his former application, and applies in lieu thereof for any other tract: Provided always, that the party shall never be allowed thus to withdraw his former application, and to apply in lieu thereof for another tract, except when the tract described in his former application shall have been applied for previous to the date of that his former application.

. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury shall and may prescribe such further regulations, in the manner of keeping books and accounts, by the several officers in this act mentioned, as to him may appear necessary and proper, in order fully to carry into effect the provisions of this act.

. And be it further enacted, That the registers of the land offices, respectively, shall be entitled to receive from the treasury of the United States, one half per cent. on all the monies expressed in the receipts by them filed and entered, and of which they shall have transmitted an account to the Secretary of the Treasury, as directed by this act; and they shall further be entitled to receive, for their own use, from the respective parties, the following fees for services rendered, that is to say; for every original application for land, and a copy of the same, for a section three dollars, for a half section two dollars; for every certificate stating that the first fourth part of the purchase money is paid, twenty-five cents; for every subsequent receipt for monies paid, twenty-five cents; for the final settlement of account and giving the final certificate of the same, one dollar; for every copy, either of an application or of